Window guard



Jan. 12, 1943. B. J. BAH.. 2,308,158

u WINDOW GUARD l Filed' Feb. 15, 1939 y s sheets-sheet 5 5o v 5o' 5| B w SILSXMZ ik@ f t fp Y BIAnNE JQDAHL ATTORNEY Patented Jan. i2, 1943 srrss Prg' r Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved window guard for the purpose of preventing accidental falls from open windows.

The present invention provides a window guard in the form of an expansible and collapsible lattice which is actuated by the usual raising and lowering of the window sash, so that the window can be opened various amounts as desired, and the lattice wil1 expand to accommodate the various openings. The device is constructed so that the lattice is centered with the sides of the window in all positions of adjustment. The openings between the lattice bars are suciently large that they do not obstruct outside view, and the device Vis constructed so as to make it practically impossible for a person to fall out of a window equipped therewith.

The top of .the lattice is slidably mounted in a suitable housing for attachment to the window sash, and the top of the lattice automatically moves to the lower edge of the housing as the sash is raised, thereby Aexposing that portion of the lattice bars which would otherwise be concealed within the housing and not fully utilized, and such partial exposure would also detract from the regularity of appearance of the device.

The bottom of the lattice is mounted in a channel member which is rigidly secured to the bottom or' the window frame, and suitable means is also provided for releasably holding the lattice collapsed within the upper housing upon the window sash so as to move as a unit with the sash, as is essentially necessary for the routine cleaning of windows which are above the first floor.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the best modes thus far devised as practical embodiments of the invention.

Fig. l shows an elevation oi the room side of v the invention, wherein paired lattices are employed, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 shows a similar elevation of the invention wherein a single lattice is employed.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and discloses the spacers employed on the free ends of the lattice bars.

Fig. i shows an enlarged horizontal sectio disclosing the spacer block connecting the paired lattices of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows the single lattice of Figure 2 differently mounted in the housing and discloses the paired oblique guideways which eiect centering.

Fig. 6 shows an enlarged central vertical section showing the guard of Fig. 1 in collapsed position.

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Fig. 'l shows an enlarged central vertical sec-v mountedin guideways at the top and also at the' bottom.

Fig. 10 shows the simplest form of the invention mounted in the same kind of guideways as shown in Figure 9.

Fig. 1l shows an enlarged horizontal section disclosing the threaded guide bolts used in Figure 9 and Figure l0.

A single lattice formed by a multiplicity of parallel crossbars of equal length pivotally connected to a similar number of oppositely arranged crossbars of similar length, is unsatisfactory for the purpose of the present invention, for the reason that such crossbars pivot on too long a radius and consequently they recede so far from the sides of the window that they leave a larger opening at the side of the window than is formed between the crossbars themselves. To overcome this inaptitude, the present invention employs a lattice formed of tno paired halves or sections as shown at L and Rin Figure 1.

As shown in Fig. l, each half of the lattice comprises a series of bars such as l5, I9 and Il, pivoted in staggered zig-zag relation, and also pivotally connected centrally of each bar, to a like series such as I 8, I6 and 2G, in equilateral parallelogram arrangement.

A housing H is provided for attachment to the bottom rail of ,the window sash; and this housing is provided with a pair of vertical guideways spaced apart near the center of the housing. For the convenience of illustration these guideways are shown as slots 2l and 23, however they may equally well be otherwise formed. The end of the top bar 20 is slidably mounted in the guideway 2l by means of a pintle as indicated at 22; and the corresponding bar 20 of the other half R of the lattice is similarly mounted in the guideway 23. This provides for the lattice to remain at the lower part ci the housing H until collapsed, whereupon it rises in the guideways and is concealed entirely within the housing H which is made of suilicient vertical dimension for that purpose.

At the bottom of the lattice, the two halves L and R are connected together by means of a spacer block 3l to which the ends of the innermost bars l5 and I5 are pivoted as indicated at P and P (Fig. 4) which pivots are spaced apart the same distance as the aforementioned guideways 2| and 23. The block 3| is positioned midlength of the channel member C and secured therein in any practical manner, preferably releasably Secured therein. The outer end of the bar is left free to move in the housing H and the outer end of the bar I8 is left free to move in the channel member C, and the corresponding bars in the right half R of the lattice are similarly positioned; and preferably, the free ends of these four bars are provided with spacer members such as S in Fig. 3 so as to hold them in proper position during their movements.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the two halves L and R of the lattice are spaced apart a short distance as indicated at D, and it will also be readily understood that this distance D will remain constant as the lattice is alternately expanded and collapsed, and that the receding at the sides of the window is equal on the two sides and not of sufcient amount to be objectionable. It will be readily understood that asingle lattice mounted in the same manner and covering the same space as this described pair, would not provide this desired equality.

The spacing between the two paired halves is also utilized to provide suitable means for retaining the entire lattice within the housing H so that it will move as a unit with the window sash, as is essentially necessary for convenience in the routine cleaning of windows which are above the irst oor and can not be conveniently reached from the ground.

Attention is now directed to Figures l, 4 and 6.

The housing H has a block 25 rigidly secured in the space between the two halves of the lattice, and this block has a threaded vertical bore 25 to receive the bolt 32 and hold the spacer block 3| secu-red in the housing H and consequently the entire lattice collapsed therein. It will also be seen that the bolt 32 could equally well pass horizontally through the bore 24 and through the transverse bore 28 and then be engaged in the threaded bore 24. That is to say, when the spacer block 3| is raised so that its transverse bore 23 registers with the bores 24' and 24, then the Vertical bore 25 is simultaneously in register to receive the bolt 32 when inverted from the position shown in Fig. 6. It will also be seen in Fig. 6, that the bolt 32 can be utilized in either a vertical or a horizontal position, in either the housing H or the channel member C. The channel member C is xedly mounted on the base of the window frame, either on the surface of the stool or else recessed therein. En thev latter instance, the retaining bolt 32 must necessarily be positioned vertical, in which instance it may equally well be positioned vertical when used to hold the lattice collapsed within the housing H, as that makes it possible to eliminate the bores 24', 24 and 28 if so desired.

However, when the channel member C is recessed into the stool, the block 3| can be releasably held in the channel member C by means of the lock and key shown in Fig. 7. The lock may be of any siutable construction and is here shown as a simple lock bar 33 provided with a rack 34 slidably mounted in the lock casing 35 having the key aperture T and a corresponding aperture U. A key K with a pinion 3S and a centering pin 3l is employed to actuate the rack 34 to move the lock bar 33 in the required manner. As the key must be stepped down below the pinion 36 in order to enable the latter to be engaged with the rack 34, the centering pin 31 is made of suitable size and length to be utilized for temporarily retaining the lattice collapsed within the housing H, instead of using the bolt 32 horizontally in the previously described manner.

Any of the described instrumentalities can be embodied in the showing of Fig. 1 as circumstances suggest or necessity requires; and of course the described lock can also be employed even when the channel member C is not recessed into the stool of the window frame.

Fig. 2 shows a single lattice comprising four bars 4|, 42, 43 and 44 pivotally connected together at their ends to form an equilateral parallelogram, and the two crossbars and 4B which bisect each other and also bisect the parallelogram and are pivoted to the center of the respective bars forming the parallelogram. The crossbars 45 and 45 need not be pivoted to each other, but may be if so desired. At the top of the lattice, the pivot pin 41 is extended as best seen in Figure 7 and is slidably engaged in a vertical guideway 48 of the housing H. This `guideway is of sufficient length to provide for the top of the lattice to move to the lower part of the housing when the lattice is extended and to provide for the lattice to be collapsed entirely within the housing, and be retained therein by means of the previously described key K vby simply inserting the pin 31 thereof through the lower part `of the guideway 48 and through the lower pivot axis of the lattice which is provided with a tubular pivot 49 (Fig. 7) and then through the -bore 24 in the back wall of the housing H; or, the previously described bolt 32 can be employed in the manner illustrated in Fig. 8. The upper ends of the crossbars 45 and 46 are freely slidable in the housing H and their lower ends are freely slidable in the channel member C, and it will be readily understood that the window can be partly opened and the tubular pivot 49 released from the channel member C so that the lattice can be manually lifted into the housing H with the tubular pivot 49 in position to receive either the bolt 32 or the pin 3l of the key K so as to hold the lattice collapsed within the housing, to move as a unit with the window sash.

Where it is desired to recess the channel member C into the stool of the window frame, the described lock and key shown in Fig. '7 is preferable and of course the bores in the housing and in the channel member, need not be threaded except when the described bolt 32 is employed. Where the housing H is made of sheet metal of such thinness as to not provide adequate threaded engagement, it is a simple matter to provide reinforcing strips on the inside of the housing in the position where the threaded bores are located, but for clarity of illustration this well known mechanical expedient is not shown.

Figure 5 shows the same lattice as illustrated in Figure 2, but here the housing H is provided with a pair of oblique guideways 50 and 50 and the upper ends of the crossbars 45 and 46 are provided with pintles 5| 'and 5| which are slidably mounted in the oblique guideways. The previously described tubular pivot 49 may be held in the channel C by either of the previously described means, and in this instance the upper pivot P is used for the sole purpose of uniting the bars 42 and 43.

It will be seen from Fig. 5 that when the lattice is caused to collapse, the pintles 5| and 5|' must of necessity move outwardly towards the ends of the housing and in so doing they lwill ascend the guideways 50 and 50' which have such inclination that when the lattice is completely collapsed, it will have risen entirely with-` in the housing, whereupon it may be retained therein by means of any suitable pin or bolt passed through appropriately located bores in the housing and engaged in the previously described tubular pivot 49, in the manner hereinbefore explained.

Fig. 9 shows the same lattice as illustrated in Fig. 2 and also shows the oblique guideways 5D and 50 illustrated in Fig. 5, but here the lower ends of the crossbars 45 and 46 are provided with pintles 52 and 52 which are slidably mounted in the horizontal guideways 5,3 and 53' of the channel member C, in which instance the previously described tubular pivot 49 need not be connected with the channel member as was otherwise required in the showings of Figures 2 and 5, in fact it may be supplanted by a simple pivot. As shown in Fig. 9 the lattice is mounted solely in the four guideways, and it will be seen that the oblique guideways not only cause the pintles v5l and 5| to rise when the lattice is collapsed,

but the oblique guideways also keep the lattice centered at any degree of extension or collapsing. Since the guidways 50 and 5D are inclined opposite to each other, lateral movement of the lattice is impossible, as that would involve the physical impossibility of the lattice expanding and collapsing at one and the same time in absolute contradiction to the laws of physics or even common sense. In other words, if the guideways 5B and 50 were horizontal, then the lattice would be free to slide from side to side and would not remain centered in the Window, as is accomplished by the use of the oblique gui'deways.

As shown in Fig. 11 each of the pintles may be provided with a reduced threaded end N so as to limit the extent of threaded engagement with the lattice bar; that is to say, with a shoulder M to act as a stop. To provide lample threaded engagement for the pintle, the end of the lattice bar may be thickened in any suitable manner and so as to also space the same from the sides of the channel member C. Figure 11 shows a hub O on the lattice bar It, but in practice it is desirable to spot weld separate pieces on opposite sides of the lattice bar to accomplish the same purpose. In either instance, a stepped and threaded bore can be made in the thickened end of the lattice bar. The pintle is shown with a slotted head to retain it in its guideway, and this head is desirable when the channel member C is not recessed into the window frame. When it is desired to recess the channel member C into the window frame, these heads are omitted. When the channel member is made of thin sheet metal necessitating additional bearing surface for the pintles, it is a simple matter to provide reiniorcing strips the length of the guideways and then form the guideways through both thicknesses, such mechanical expedients being too well known to require illustration.

As shown in Fig. 9 the housing H is apertured at E and F to receive any suitable pins or bolts for retaining the lattice collapsed within the housing, as Ior instance the pintles 52 and 52 may be employed for this purpose.

Fig. 10 shows the simplest form of the invention wherein two crossbars 45 and 4B are pivoted together at their centers, and their ends are slidably mounted in four guideways in the manner just described relative to Fig. 9; the inclination of the oblique guideways in the housing sufiicing to keep the two crossbars centered at various positions of collapsing and extension as was previously explained. This form of the invention can be provided at greatly reduced cost and will suffice where extreme economy is desired. The lower pintles 52 and 52 need not be removable in this form of the invention, and in lieu thereof the upper pintles 5| and 5| may be made removable and the crossbars N5 and 46 merely dropped to the bottom of the window frame where they will be sufliciently out of the way for routine cleaning of the window.

The utilization and operation of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description. The manner of installing will vary according to desire and also according to the structure of the window sash andits frame, several variations being in general use. The housin g H may be recessed into the sash and the bottom channel member C recessed into the window frame, or eitherone or both may be mounted4 on the surface. In the case of new structures employing metal sash and metal window frames, the housing may be formed as a part of the metal sash and the bottom channel formed as a part of the window frame either in the stool or in the sill whichever may be desirable according to the chosen construction.

, In the drawings, various provisions are shown for attaching the device to the window sash and frame. The housing His shown with screw apertures such as V concentric with an access aperture W on the exposed face of the housing. After the housing is attached to the window sash by means of screws passed through the apertures,

each across aperture W is then closed by ani ornate button B which may be secured in any suitable manner such as frictional engagement, soldering, spot welding, threaded engagement, or otherwise. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 6 a center screw may be passed entirely through the housing and block 25, the bore 2'! being provided for that purpose so that such screw will also suffice to securely bind the block 25 when it is desired to merely position it with dowel pins without welding or riveting. At theends of the housing H itl is desirable to provide suitable spacer members such as the tubular member X shown in Fig. l which may be let into either or both walls of the housing and the attaching screws passed therethrough. In Fig. 9 each end of the housing is closed by turning one of the walls and then the attaching screws are passed through the adjacent apertures Z and Z at the ends of the housing. Countersunk screw apertures Y may be provided in the channel member C for the passage of the attaching screws. Where metal sash and metal window frame are employed it is possible to eliminate all of these screw apertures and utilize spot welding instead.

When once installed, the invention is operated by the usual raising and lowering of the window sash and will provide an adequate guard for the various openings that result lowering of the sash. In each oi the disclosed embodiments, the upper part of the lattice will descend to the lower Ypart of the housing when the sash is raised and thus provide maximum utility of the upper portion of the lattice bars as well as present a regularity of appearance. When the sash is moved to its lowermost position, the upper part of the lattice will ascend in the housing H so that the lattice can collapse within the housing, thus providing compactness withirom raising andl out :sacrifici-ng thefutility of the'upper portionof the "lattice bars. 'The invention affords safety protection, eniciently preventing persons .from accidentally falling out of opened windows wherein'the invention has been installed.

In the present disclosure, I claim as my invention:

1. -A window guard comprising an expansible and'oollapsible lattice, a bottom channel member forlattachmentfto a window frame, a pintle connectingthelower portion of said-lattice within -said `channel member, lan upper housing for attachment vto -a window sash, said housing Vhaving aguideway in the front wall thereof, a pintle carried by `th'etop of said lattice and engaged in sai'd'guideway to slidably connect the top of said lattice directly with the wall of said housing, said guideway arranged to afford ascending and descending movement of said lattice within said housing, the expansive movements of the llower portion of said lattice being guided longitudinally of said channel member by vcontact with the side walls thereof, the expansive movements of the upper portion of said lattice being guided longitudinally of said housing by contact with the latter, and said housing covering the lattice when in its collapsed position and ascended within the housing.

2. A window guard comprising an expansible and collapsible lattice, a bottom channel member for attachment to a window frame, a pintle connecting the lower portion of said lattice within said channel member, an upper housing for attachment to a window sash, said housing having paired guideways in the front wall thereof, pintles carried by the top of said lattice and engaged in said guideways to slidably connect the top of said lattice directly with the wall of said housing, said guideways arranged to afford ascending and descending movement of said lattice within said housing, the expansive movements of the lower portion of said lattice being guided longitudinally of said channel member `by contact with the side walls thereof, the expansive movements of the upper portion of said lattice being guided longitudinally of said housing by Contact with the latter, and said housing covering the lattice when in its collapsed position and ascended'within the housing.

3. A window guard comprising an expansible and collapsible lattice, a bottom channel member for attachment to a window frame, a pintle connecting the lower portion of said lattice within said channel member, an upper housing for attachment to a window sash, said housing having a vertical guideway in the front wall thereof, a pintle carried by the top of said lattice and engaged in said guideway to slidably connect the top of said lattice directly with the wall of said housing, said guideway arranged to afford ascending and descending movement of said lattice within said housing, the expansive movements of the lower portion of said lattice being guided longitudinally of said channel member by contact with the side walls thereof, the expansive movements of the upper portion of said lattice being guided longitudinally of said` housing by contact with the latter, and said housing covering the lattice when in its collapsed position and ascended within the housing.

4. A window guard comprising an expansible and collapsible lattice, a bottom channel member wherein said lattice-'is pivotallymounted, an upperhousing having twofoppositely inclinedobliqueguideways therein, andthe 'upper portion of -said lattice slidablypivoted in said guideways.

E. A-window'guard comprising a lower channel member havinghorizontal guideways near the outerends thereof, and an upper housing having oblique guideways near the outer endsthereof, a pair of crossed bars having their upper ends slidablypivoted in said oblique guideways and their lower ends slidably 'pivoted vin said horizontal guidewaysffour bars vpivotally connected'together and forming an equilateral 'parallelogram said parallelogram 4being vcentered upon said crossed barsandthe latter being pivoted to the center voi the respective bars of Vsaid lparallelogram.

V6. A window guard comprising a lowerchannel member having horizontal guidew'ays near the outer ends thereof, and an upper housing having oblique guideways near the outer ends thereof, a pair of crossed bars pivoted together at their centers and having their upper `ends slidably pivoted in lsaid oblique guideways and their lower ends slidably pivoted in said horizontal guideways.

7. A window guard comprising an expansible and collapsible lattice, an upper housing having a vertical guideway therein, the upper portion of 4said lattice being slidably pivoted in said guideway, a channel member for receiving the lower portion of said lattice, means for releasably pivoting said lattice in said channel member and means for securing the lower portion of said lattice sto said housing when released from 'said channel member.

8. A window guard comprising an upper housing, an expansible and collapsible lattice having its upper portion pivotally mounted in said housing, a channel member for receiving the .lower portion of said lattice, means for releasably pivoting'fsaid lattice in said channel 'membenand means-for-secu'ring the lower portion of'said lattice to said housing when released from said channel member.

9. 4A window guard comprising an expansible and collapsible lattice `embodying apair of separate sections, a spacer block pivotally .connecting the lower near'ends of saidsections, a housing, the upper near ends of said sections pivotally mounted in said housing, a channel member for receiving the lower portions of the two paired sections and said spacer block, means for releasably securing said kspacer block in said channel member, and means for `releasably securing said spacer block in said housing with the entire lattice vcollapsed within the housing when said pacer block is'released from said channel mem- 10. A window guard comprising an expansible and collapsible lattice, an upper housing wherein the 'upper portion of said lattice is pivotally mounted, a channel member for receiving the lower portion'of said'lattice, alock having a lock barpassing into said channel member and pivotally retaining said lattice releasably in said channel `member in operative condition for expansionand Vcollapsing of the lattice when .said housing is raised and lowered, and meansfor securing the lower portion of said lattice to said rousing when released from said channel mem- BJARNE J. DAI-IL. 

